NASCAR is in Year 2 of a seven-year set of media rights deals across five separate broadcast partners for its premier Cup Series races: Fox, Prime Video, TNT Sports, NBC, and USA Sports. The sport’s move to split its rights from two partners under the old deals, Fox and NBC, to five under the new setup was at first divisive among NASCAR fans. However, midway through the second season of the new arrangement, fans have come around to some of the positive innovations introduced by the new broadcast partners.
Prime Video and TNT Sports, both of which will air five Cup Series races each through 2031, have been the impetus for much of that positive sentiment, introducing new features and production flares that resonate with fans. And according to new NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell, both Prime Video and TNT Sports wish they had purchased more inventory a few years ago, when the new media agreements were signed.
“We’ve got contractual obligations obviously, but what I can say — I don’t think I’m giving away any trade secrets — is if you talk to Prime, they wish they would have bought more,” O’Donnell told Sports Business Journal. “If you talk to Turner, they wish they would have bought more. That’s a good thing — that’s great for us.”
Of course, with NASCAR’s agreements more or less set in stone through 2031, the prospect of Prime Video or TNT Sports securing more races is slim. Fox or NBC would likely have to be willing to part ways with portions of their inventory, and, by all accounts, they’re happy with what they have.
By splitting its inventory among so many partners, NASCAR was able to secure approximately $1.1 billion per year for its media rights, a figure likely higher than what the motorsport could’ve gotten by keeping its inventory in two larger packages.
But now, the circuit has more mouths to feed. That’s a good problem to have, and one that could result in a more robust market when NASCAR looks to sell its next batch of media rights, a process that Sports Business Journal reports will begin in 2029.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.